A race for one of Blount County’s three seats in the Tennessee General Assembly will give Democrats their first choice in years between candidates for state office. But the difference between the contenders this year is more a matter of emphasis than substance.
Democrats Sue DuBois and Mac Pickle will compete in the Aug. 1 primary for the chance to unseat incumbent state Rep. Jerome Moon, R-Maryville, in November. Moon has held the seat representing District 8 — which covers part of Blount County — since late 2017 and is unopposed in the upcoming Aug. 1 primary.
Most years, the odds are long that a Democrat from heavily Republican Blount County runs for a state office at all. Though Moon himself has faced Democratic opposition in every election since taking up his seat, other members of Blount’s delegation to the Tennessee legislature have won races without facing a challenger outside the GOP.
In a Wednesday, June 19, forum sponsored by the Blount Partnership, DuBois and Pickle talked over issues including a proposal to expand statewide a system of school vouchers, improving healthcare access and the construction of the Pellissippi Parkway. Fielding moderator and audience questions, both noted that they agreed broadly on their core values.
The candidates offered different responses to questions about their priorities. DuBois, a retired biologist who chairs the Blount County Democratic Party, named human rights and reproductive access a top priority, while Pickle, a current special education teacher, honed in on bolstering public education.
On both issues, though, they were in agreement. And the conversation Monday was amicable, punctuated throughout by nods and comments like “Good answer, by the way,” (from Pickle to DuBois) and, from DuBois: “I agree with Mac 100%.”
Education, healthcare
As in other political discussions held this election season, education — specifically, a proposal from the office of Gov. Bill Lee to extend statewide a school choice voucher program — provided a talking point for candidates on Monday. Both candidates said that they unequivocally opposed such changes.
Pickle, a former Maryville City Schools teacher who now works in Knox County, described vouchers as a “fantasy.” DuBois, who ran as a write-in candidate for District 8 in 2022, said she agreed completely with Pickle on the topic.
The voucher system, Pickle said, is one part of a broader underfunding of public schools. That lack of funding extends past teacher pay and into issues such as school buildings and supportive infrastructure, he said.
The candidates’ answers on healthcare likewise highlighted their similarities and their various focuses. Both said they support accepting a federal Medicaid expansion that would close a gap between TennCare coverage and Affordable Care Act coverage. DuBois connected the lack of the expansion to troubles faced by Blount Memorial Hospital, the only hospital in Blount County. She suggested that accepting the expansion could benefit the hospital.
Pickle said that declining the expansion amounted to a major “waste.”
Expanding Tennesseans’ access to healthcare — and including reproductive healthcare within that expansion — was a major goal, DuBois said, along with combating gun violence and attacks on LGBTQ+ people. And Pickle tied the need for expanded career and technical education programming to healthcare during the forum. Strong CTE programs, he said, were good paths to careers within the healthcare industry.
Pellissippi
One point on which the candidates offered different answers was the proposed extension of the Pellissippi Parkway from Old Knoxville Highway to East Lamar Alexander Parkway. The extension is meant to lessen traffic congestion and improve the area economy, but it’s also drawn critics who have said it could damage rural quality of life and prove harmful to the environment, among other possibilities.
DuBois said in response to a moderator question that she opposed the project “as it’s currently proposed.” Pickle said that he could support it, provided it proves “ecologically sound” and avoids becoming a hotspot for business such as gas stations. But with the contingencies included, their answers showed minor, rather than major, distinctions.
Most Popular
Comments / 0